Although his intentions were good, former Councilman Tom LaBonge did not consider the negative consequences when he, without following proper protocol, removed 2 lanes from Rowena Ave. The current configuration of this major artery has not made the street safer for pedestrians, cyclists or drivers. In fact, based on current statistics, pedestrian versus vehicle accidents have gone up 75% since the removal of the lanes. And the amount of traffic on our smaller residential streets near Rowena Ave. are under attack by “cut through” commuters. Waverley, Angus, Armstrong, Tesla, Lakewood, Kenilworth... all of these narrow residential streets have turned into dangerously congested short cut streets, used by those addicted to apps like WAZE how desperately want to avoid Rowena Ave. Especially during morning and afternoon rush hours. I have been working closely with other frustrated residents, collecting signatures and meeting with Councilman Ryu and his staff regarding this disaster. Rowena Ave. MUST be re-evaluated. As it is now, Rowena Ave. is not safer and was reconfigured unlawfully

Small Lot Subdivisions:

As a voting member of the SLNC Urban Design and Preservation Advisory Committee, I have voted NO on 99% of the small lot projects brought to our committee. These developments have scarred our neighborhood, eliminating single family dwellings on small lots and making the desire of living in Silver Lake unattainable. These new units are typically cookie cutter versions of West L.A. developments, void of any of the charm and uniqueness of Silver Lake. I will continue to vote “No” until our city council representatives really listen to the concerns of Silver Lake and re-draft small lot subdivision ordinances.

Silver Lake Reservoir:

The DWP promised to refill the reservoir to it’s traditional levels once the construction is completed. I will fight to make sure they hold to that promise. They were well aware of the drought conditions in S. California when they made those promises, so to renege on the re-filling based on drought concerns, won’t fly with me. Nor will I support any talk or plans of transforming the reservoir to a “swimming pool”, or recreational park like Echo Park. Enough said on that

Homelessness In Silver Lake:

In December 2015, Rusty Millar and I, as co-chairs of the SLNC’s Governmental Affairs Committee, organized and hosted “Homelessness In Silver Lake”: A Town Hall Meeting. As we all know, there has been a dramatic uptick in the homeless population in Silver Lake. Never have we experienced this in Silver Lake or across the city. As an At-Large Representative, I will make sure the SLNC puts pressure on Councilman Ryu and O’Farrell to make sure Silver Lake isn’t forgotten when funds ear-marked to address the needs for the homeless are allocated.

Residential Parking:

As a voting member of SLNC’s Urban Design and Preservation Advisory Committee, I have voted NO on 99% of the alcohol license requests from new or established restaurant owners in Silver Lake. I do so for two main reasons:

1). Silver Lake 300% over the state allocated liquor license quota, making certain areas of our neighborhood some of the most over saturated (with regard to Type 41 and 47 licenses) in Los Angeles. This has caused an uptick in myriad nuisance and DUI and hit and runs calls , to the LAPD (who refer to Silver Lake as “bar city”).

2). Most of these restaurants are not required to provide adequate on-site parking for their patrons and employees. So, where do these people park? On our residential streets, taking away needed parking spaces for residents. For those who don’t have usable garages or driveways, many are forced to park blocks from their residents, negatively impacting their quality of life. I will continue to work with residents desirous of restricted parking permits on residential streets.